Traveling sheave block



L. C. BLACK TRAVELING SHEAVE BLOCK Jan. 2 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 12, 1947 INVENTOR Zesfer C, B/ack ATTORN EY Filed May 12, 1947 L. C. BLACK TRAVELING SHEAVEZ BLOCK gQQ 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 lNVENTOR Zea/er C. B/ac/z Y ATTDRNEY 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 L. C. BLACK TRAVELING SHEAVE BLOCK INVENTOR. leszer C. B/ack BY ATTORNEY Jan. 2, 1951 3, BLACK 2,536,417

TRAVELING SHEAVE BLOCK Filed May 12, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Les/er C 5/6 c/ aywm ATTOQNEY m H IN V EN TOR. Lu

Patented Jan. 2, 1951 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE TRAVELING SHEAVEBLOCK Lester l3. Black, Bakersfield; Calif.

Application May12, 1947,: Serial No. 747,382

2 Claims, 1. This invention. relates generally to traveling sheave blocks.- of the. type suitable for use in oil well drilling.

In oil well drilling operationsit is common to provide the top of a derrick with a crown. block, which is used in conjunction with a: multi-sheave travelin block. In order to facilitate manipulation of the traveling block, particularly during theuncoupling of casing or tubing sections, it is common to utilize so-ca-lled spring hooksor clevises which connect: between the traveling block and the work. Such devices enable limited vertical movement of the work without winding up or playing out the hoisting cable. Hooks and clevises oi the spring type have the disadvantage that when attached toa traveling block, the over all vertical dimensions of the assembly are considerably increased, thus limiting the vertical hoisting distance for a given derrick installation.

It is anobject of. the present invention to provide a. new traveling sheave block construction which. incorporates spring means, while climb mating the necessity of utilizing. a conventional spring. hookor clevis.

A further object of the invention is to provide a. traveling block which inherently incorporates as a part of its assembly aspr ng means enabling relative movement between the sheave assembly of the block and the Work attaching hook.

Another object of the invention is to provide a traveling sheave block of the above character which is relatively compact with respect to its dimensbning and. which can be used to advantage in. connection with deep well drilling.

Another object of the invention is to provide a traveling sheave block constituting an improvement. to the travel n block disclosed in my Patent 2052,0775, grantedAugust 25, 1936.

Additional objects of the inventionwill appear from the following description in which the preferred embodiment has been set forth in detail in conjuncton with the accompanying drawing.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure'l is a side elevational view illustrating traveling sheave block incorporating the present invention.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional detail taken along the line 22 of Figure-1.

Figure; 3 a cross-sectional view taken along the line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 isa. side elevational view like Fame 1 but illustrating. another embodiment of the invention.

Figure 5 isan elevational view looking toward the right hand'sideof'Figurei.

Figure 6 is an enlarged: detail in section illus; tratingithemanner in which: a plurality of 'springs areamounte'd intheupper: portion of the, block,

til

2. to take the place of the single spring. of Figures 1 to 3 inclusive.

Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along thewline'l 'l of Figure 6;

That form of the; invention illustrated in the drawing consists generally of a plurality of'cable sheaves it which are preferably ring shaped as disclosed in. said. Patent 2 52,075, The mounting structure for the sheaves includes a rigid drum H which is fitted with bearing rings I2 and spacer rings l3 and Hi. Bearing roller-s: "5- are interposed between the rings t2 and cooperating bearing rings ll. fitted. Within the. sheaves Ill. Clampfngrihgs l8 and. it are fitted. upon the-end portions of the drum l'l. Ring i8. is recessed to seat upon a flange 2i formed on. the drum,.whi1e ring I9 is. recessed to receive the. flange 22 of a retainingring 23.. Ring 23" is securedasby means of bolts Z l to theinternal flange 26' of the drum.

In addition to the parts describedabove the mounting structure for thesheavesincludes the side plates 23 and 29 which have central openings andare'seated upontherings' l8 and I!) as illustrated. The upp'ere'nds of these plates above the sheaves are attached together by bar 3!, which is removably'secured to the plates as by means of"pifns 32. Projectinglugs 33 carried by the ends of the bar engage recesses 3'4 provided in the upperedges of the plates-ZS and 29, thereby providing non' pivotal igid connections;

Filler plates 36 andtl'are attached to theouter faces? of the plates 28; 29; These filler plates extend? in a: general vertical direction and their opposed parallel edges are spaced apart to form thevertically' extendngguideways 385 39.

Cooperating with the assembly described above thered's a frame structure which serves to carry a work attaching? hook: This frame structure includes the'side p-lates' l'tl' and 42 which are slidably accommodated within theguideivays' 38; 39. The lowerendsiof. the plates 4-! an'd iE are connected by thaclevis barl3 which in turn serves to: carryia hook M". This hoolr may be" any one of anumber conventional typesbut for deep well'diwillihgit is? desirable to utilize a triple'hook device; including: the; main lower' hooli' 46; and the smaller sid'ehcoks 4 12 'I'he clevis b'a'r 43 is showri attached t'o-thell'ower end:' of plates i'l and $25 by p nsJlil; the plates-:beingprovided with webs it]? for-- this purposea. Plate 42 is shown provided with an openingr normally. closed by cover 45', thereby enabling? access to. the interior of-the drum: ll forrlubrication or for f'acilitating repairs.

The" upper ends of the plates 41 end A2 are connected by" the decide -i9 (Figure 3). The attachment irnthisi instance can likewis-e be-oro-'- vided by thefiremovable" pins 51. Interposed betweentlieadeckle iil' andzthesban 3.1; there is a compression spring 52. The upper end of this spring is shown seated over a stud 53 carried by the deckle, in order to prevent its lateral displacement.

Because the compression spring is interposed between the mounting structure for the sheaves and the frame'structure which carries the hook 44, and because the two structures are slidable with respect to each other, the frame structure is always urged toward its uppermost position relative to the sheaves. Assuming that the sheaves engage the lower ends of cable loops, the load applied to the hook 44 is directly opposed by the spring 52, and therefore as the load is in creased, a substantial amount of relative movement may occur between the sheaves and the work hook. In actual practice suitable limiting means are provided to restrict such relative movement between definite limits. Thus in the block described, when the frame structure moves upwardly with respect to the mounting structure of the sheaves the upper ends of lugs 48 are ultimately brought into abutment with the lower edges 54 of the plates 28, 29 (Figure 3). Similarly when the'frame structure is moved downwardly with respect to the sheaves the loweredges of the mounting cars 55 for the pins are brought into engagement with the lugs 33 on the bar 3!.

Operation of the traveling block described above can be reviewed as follows: In normal operation the traveling block is used with a derrick crown block, and a hoist cable is reeved between the crown block and the traveling block whereby the sheaves of the traveling block normally engage the lower ends of depending cable loops. Hook 44 it attached to the work, whereby when a weight or pull is applied to the hook, such forceis applied directly to the compression spring Relative vertical movement may occur be tween the hook and the sheaves, by virtue of the sliding engagement between the frame structure which carries the hook and the mounting strucmm which carries the rotating sheaves. Thus during certain operations, such as the uncoupling of tubing sections, compression and expansion' of spring 52 together with relative sliding action makes possible a latitude of vertical movement of the hook and the work, without corresponding movement of the traveling block sheaves or of the hoist cable.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 4 to 7 inclusive makes use of a plurality of compression springs in place of the single compression spring 52 of Figures 1 to 3 inclusive. The block in this instance consists of a plurality of ring-like sheaves 6| mounted by roller bearing assemblies upon the drum 62. The ends'of the drum are attached to the side plates 63, corresponding to the side plat s 28 and 29 of Figures 1 to 3. Filler strips 6 (Figure 4) are attached to the side plates 63 and provide vertically extending guideways 66 for slidably accommodating the vertically extending plates 61.

The upper ends of plates 53 are attached to the connecting casting 68, which is provided with a plurality of studs 69 for seating and retaining the lower ends of compression springs '10. The upper ends of plates 6? are held together by the pin 12, which also serves to attach the deckle 13. The deckle is provided with downwardly faced shoulders '54 and studs 16 to provide seats for the upper ends of compression springs 70.

The'hoqkii carried bythe lower end of the'block,

' is shown supported .by a swivel bearing 18, which in turn is carried by a casting 19 which connects to the lower ends of the plates 61.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 4 to 7 inclusive operates in the same manner as V the previously described embodiment. Relative movement may occur between the hook and the sheaves, and such movement is accomodated by the sliding of side plates 61 within the guideways 66, and by compression and expansion of'the springs 10. By the use of multiple compression springs and a mounting as described it is possible to obtain a relatively high total spring force without utilizing a single spring of excessive size.

Advantages of my construction will be apparent from the above. The spring is incorporated as an inherent part of the travelin block without materially increasing the dimensions of the same. Incorporation of the sprin means as an inherent part of the block assembly does not in any way interfere with the utility or adaptability of the block. All of the various parts of the block can be readily disassembled for making repairs or replacements.

I claim:

1. In a traveling sheave block construction, a plurality of sheaves disposed side-by-side and adapted to engage the lower ends of depending cable loops, means including a rigid drum extending axially within the sheaves and serving to form a journal mounting for the same, side plate rigidly attached to the ends of the drum, spaced filler plates attached to the outer faces of the side plates and forming with the side plates a pair of outwardly faced parallel guideway recesses, a frame structure, the frame structure including a pair of laterally spaced vertically extending side plates slidably retained within said guideway recesses, a member serving to interconnect the upper end portions of said first mentioned side plates, another member serving to interconnect the upper ends of said last mentioned side plates, and a compression spring interposed between said members serving to resist downward movement of the frame structure relative to the sheaves.

2. In a traveling sheave block, a plurality of side by side sheaves, ,rigid means forming a journal mounting for the sheaves, spaced parallel side guards rigidly attached to said mounting, each guard comprising plates assembled to form an outwardly faced guide recess extending the length of the same, the two recesses being parallel, a frame structure, said structure including a pair of spaced parallel side plates slidably disposed in said guide recess and a member serving to connect the upper ends of said side plates, means attached to the lower end of the frame structure for attaching work to the block, another member serving to connect the upper ends of the guard plates, and spring means interposed between said members, said spring means serving to resist downward movement of the frame structure relative to the sheave assembly;

LESTER C. BLACK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ,.2,274,099 'Smith et al Feb. 24, 1942 

